Spooky! PreCure: The Movie
by MissMelli
Summary: After a turbulent final year of high school, the Pretty Cure find university life to be pretty tame in comparison. That is, until a mysterious party invitation, and strange dreams with troubling connotations, bring them back to the last place they ever expected to see again: Frighton.
1. Chapter 1

Somewhere in the darkness, sadness stirred. Not the commonplace sadness that tickles the heart from time to time, but the breed that stings the eyes and rusts the soul. The weight of the rust on her corroded spirit began to weigh her down, progressing with heavy, deliberate movements as she neared a clearing in the dark woods.

Just beyond lay a lake, reflecting the moon almost perfectly except for the gentle ripples that split the celestial body into fragmented pieces on the water's surface. Beside the lake crouched a figure, thin arms partially submerged in the water as they braced themselves on the bank, hunched over the water's edge. Their hair was long, obscuring the face of the figure as the dark tresses fell limp down into the lake. As she approached, she noticed beneath the surface that the hair from the figure seemed to lose all form, billowing outward like a dark cloud within the mirror of the lake and spreading further still.

She watched wordlessly with bated breath as the dark cloud spilled further and further across the lake until it had reached the opposite bank. With a sticky smack, a solitary hand broke through the water out from the darkness and gripped the grass between long, thin fingers. Another arm shot through the black and grabbed hold of shore, the ripples across the moon distorting its image even further.

The forest was entirely silent aside from the sloshing of water and something, someone, pulled themselves up from the water. The arms braced themselves against the ground, a head with pink hair breaking through the murk, then a body, then legs that found footing on the water-slicked grass. She held her breath as the newcomer turned slowly towards her, the rust on her soul spreading an iron grip to her lungs, her heart. The newcomer reached up to push away its pink hair, slowly unsticking it from its face.

The moment she saw its face she let out an anguished cry, even while the sadness choked hair from her lungs.

* * *

Sofía awoke with a start, sitting upright and peeling her sweat dappled skin from the bed sheets. Where was she? A quick scan of the room revealed two large dressers, an old wooden desk laden with presumably decades worth of mystery stains, a mirror propped up against the wall that reflected the girl's wide-eyed expression, and finally a single mass beneath the blankets beside her whose breathing was slow and steady, unaffected by the drumming of Sofía's heart which surely must have been audible for how it thudded like a war drum in her own ears. The darkness of sleep subsided slowly, the light of an early morning sun bringing some semblance of clarity to her surroundings. She was home.

"Bing?"

If the sudden jolt awake wasn't enough to stir Sofía's sleeping bedmate, the clammy, sweaty hand on her shoulder was. Bing let out a low groan, two hands slipping out from beneath her pillow and wrapping the blanket around her head.

"Bing, where is Fay?" Sofía shook the hidden mass insistently. Begrudgingly Bing rolled to face her girlfriend with only bleary, sleep fraught eyes peeking out from the striped duvet.

"Wh...what time...is it?"

Sofía reached over her partner, laying across her side to the nightstand where her phone charged, tapping a button to light the screen. Flinching away from the sudden brightness, she dropped the phone back on the table and clamored back over Bing.

"It's 6:13."

Bing closed her eyes slowly, narrowing her blanket porthole to trap more of her warm breath beneath the covers. "She's probably just at training then."

"Oh...you're right," Sofía mumbled, her panic slowly starting to fade as she ran her hands over the duvet uncertainly. "I just had the weirdest dream…"

"Mm?" Bing kept her eyes closed, unable to manage anything more than a noncommittal grunt in response.

"Yeah…" Sofía locked eyes with her reflection in the mirror once more. "I was lost in this forest...and there was a lake with this person there. At least I think it was a person, and they had really long hair and it turned into smoke or something in the water and someone started coming out of it and I just had this feeling...like someone was wringing out my organs. And the person coming out of the water...looked just like Countess. I wonder if she was trying to tell me something, you know? Like...is her spirit reaching out to me? And if it is...what do I do? Do you think we did the right thing back then?" Finally breaking eye contact with her reflection, she cast her fretful hazel gaze down at her girlfriend, who was once again completely engulfed by the blankets. "Bing, are you listening to me?"

Silence.

"Did you fall asleep during my heart to heart with you?!" she cried in dismay, pulling the pillow out from underneath the mass and letting her girlfriend's head plop down onto the mattress.

"My first class isn't until 10 today, let me sleep! There will be plenty of time for heart to hearts later at a normal hour!" A foot snaked towards Sofía under the covers, slowly pushing her to the far end of the bed. "Go find Fay if you need to talk right now."

"Maybe I will!" Sofía huffed, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and marching indignantly towards the closet.

* * *

The air had just begun to lose the warm weight of summer, taking on a crisp, nippy chill in the early morning. Sofía trudged down the sidewalk to Illumine's campus, keeping an ear out for the sound of the cadets out on their morning run, surely the only ones crazy enough to be out and about at this time of day. Briefly she lamented the choice of socks instead of tights as a gentle breeze ruffled through her skirt and across her bare legs, and she pulled up the zipper on her jacket to protect what she could.

Reaching Illumine University's borders, Sofía overheard the rhythmic pattering of a herd of runners in the distance. Taking a seat on a nearby bench that immediately gave her goosebumps, she waited for the crowd of ROTC cadets to run by, spotting the other member of their triad amongst them, her ponytail bobbing from side to side as the group jogged by. It appeared Fay's blue eyes caught sight of Sofía as well, but her face didn't show it as the group plodded past, maintaining a steely focus.

Just as it was occurring to Sofía that she should have brought a book or something to maintain her interest while she waited, the sweet floral scent of Fay's perfume wafted by on the crisp fall air, and the girl sat down beside her with a smile much too sunny for the time of day.

"Come out to watch us run? I don't think I've ever seen you awake this early!" Fay chortled, reaching up to untie her blonde hair and letting it fall down past her chest.

Sofía snorted, shaking her head, "I had a bad dream, and Bing was being unsupportive." Her bitterness made Fay giggle quietly to herself, shaking her head.

"Neither of you seem to enjoy getting up early, I'm just glad you're both heavy sleepers so I don't wake you up when I leave," she teased, "I'm pretty sure you two could sleep through the end of the world."

"Heyyy," Sofía whined, though she too cracked a smile. "If it's the end of the world you bet I'm gonna be there, it's our job." She faltered slightly. "I would prefer it not be in the middle of the night though, if given the choice. I feel like death itself right now."

Fay raised her brows. "Death itself, hmm? I've never met 'em."

* * *

It didn't take much to convince Fay to head to the coffee shop on campus so Sofía could get her caffeine fix. With a giant steaming hot cup of tea before her, and a modest hot chocolate before Fay, the two absent-mindedly people watched out the window as they talked.

"So what's your schedule look like today?" Sofía asked, blowing gently on her drink before raising the cup to her lips.

"Class from 8 until noon, then I have a shift at the bookstore from 1 to 3, and band practice from 3 to 6. I might run to the gym for a bit, but I'll definitely be home for dinner," Fay chirped, taking a sip of her own drink and getting a healthy dollop of whipped cream on the end of her nose. Sofía smiled wryly and passed her girlfriend a napkin, which she accepted graciously. "Do you have work today?"

Sofía shook her head, "The shelter doesn't need me today, so I'll probably just work on the Cure book while you guys are in class. Maybe that'll help me sort out whatever that dream was about."

"Has writing been giving you trouble?" Fay asked, "Maybe the dream was just a result of your stress over getting the story down."

The thought hadn't struck Sofía before, but it seemed plausible. "That could be it. You'd think fighting monsters would be harder than writing about it, not the other way around. Sometimes I wish we could just go back to bring Pretty Cure instead of boring adults."

"It's true!"

A voice caught the attention of the two girls, a student on the other side of the coffee shop dragging her confused boyfriend by the wrist over to their table. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear, you two are really the Pretty Cure? I heard rumors you might go here but I didn't think it was true. Evan these are those warrior girls who fly around and beat up monsters!"

The boy blinked in surprise. "Really? I'd believe the blonde could beat up a monster but _her?_ " he tilted his head towards Sofía, who immediately puffed up in irritation.

"I'm the leader of the Spooky Cures, thank you very much!" she replied indignantly. "Just because the other two are both bigger and more muscular than me doesn't mean I can't kick ass!"

"Would you mind taking a picture with us?" the girl asked, facing Fay who nodded good naturedly, standing up from her seat. "Hey could you take the photo?" she asked, handing Sofía her phone. Sofía's face immediately turned beet red, Fay's brows furrowing apologetically as the smaller girl snatched up the phone. "Alright, everyone flex!"

Sofía snapped a few photos, passing the phone back to the couple and taking her seat again without a word, looking pointedly down at her drink.

"Wow, her arms have better definition than yours," the girl commented to her boyfriend whose face flushed slightly.

"Well I don't get to fight monsters or anything…"

"We actually haven't fought anything in a couple years," Fay admitted with a sweet smile, "But I exercise a lot with the ROTC."

"What do you study here?" the boy asked curiously, "Maybe we'll have a class together sometime!"

"Mechanical engineering, if you're ever in the engineering complex maybe I'll see you around!"

"What about you?" the girl asked, turning to Sofía now.

Sofía took her time with a long sip from her cup, avoiding eye contact momentarily. "I don't study anything, I'm not in school. I work at the women's shelter and I'm writing a book about being a Cure."

"Oh." The girl deflated slightly. "Does the other one go here, the orange one?"

Fay nodded, "She does, she's in the English Lit department and plays volleyball for the university, you might be able to catch her at a game."

"We'll have to check it out, it was great meeting you!" the girl gushed, hooking her arm with her boyfriend's and heading for the door. "Let's go find out where we can get volleyball tickets."

Slowly Fay leaned across the table, giving a pouting Sofía a small kiss on the forehead. "Even if you're not their favorite, you're still the one who brought us all together as a team," she reminded gently. "And I think that's pretty special."

* * *

Bing strode across campus with her hands tucked into the pockets of her pants to brace against the fall chill. Perhaps she should have left her hair long until spring rolled back around, she mused, as her current shoulder length bob didn't do much to protect her from the cold. It could be worse, she acknowledged, as Sofía had cut her own hair in a funky asymmetrical style that left one side of her head exposed to the elements.

Old stone buildings dappled the campus' tree-lined sidewalks, leaves beginning to change color and drift down to coat the ground. They crunched underfoot as she walked, crisp in the drying air. The ponds throughout the grounds were also covered in floating discarded leaves, but it was something a little more unusual that caught the prince's eye as she walked to class.

Checking her watch to ensure she had ample time for a detour, she paused and looked more intently at the pond to her right. It sat situated amongst the foliage of bushes and trees just down a shallow embankment from the sidewalk, the water completely still. Yet, somehow, it appeared to Bing that the leaves were moving across the surface despite the stillness of the air. Bracing her hand against a tree as she stepped carefully down the embankment she peered closer still.

The leaves seemed to only be moving in one particular spot in the water, moving outward from a central point while all the other leaves remained undisturbed. As though that were not unusual enough, it looked as though something large was floating just beneath the water's surface, creating a dark shadow underneath the parting leaves. Bing looked behind her to see if anyone was watching her unusual behavior, which thankfully no one appeared to be, and she grabbed a tight hold of a branch as she leaned out over the water to get a better look.

Beneath the surface was a pair of hands pressed upward, as though the water were really a sheet of glass that whatever lie beneath was trying to escape. Glassy pink eyes stared up at her wide-eyed and the being's white fanged mouth hung agape in a silent scream. The sight made Bing's muscles contract immediately in surprise, but the sudden movement shifted the soggy earth underfoot and it gave way quickly sending her tumbling into the frigid water.

Now chilled both inside and out, Bing dared to open her eyes a peek while submerged, but despite it all saw absolutely nothing in the pond with her. Bursting through the surface she clamored for the sidewalk, garnering more than a few odd looks as she strode quickly down the pavement and left a trail of wet footprints and drips behind her. Thankfully, a sympathetic professor agreed that he would not count her absence against her, and she rushed home immediately to change.

* * *

"You saw her too, then?" Sofía asked in awe, placing a warm bowl of soup in front of her girlfriend who had changed and wrapped herself in the throw blanket from their couch.

Bing nodded slowly, "She was underneath the water, so I couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like her." Sofía narrowed her eyes, sitting down at the table and shutting her laptop.

"Something is definitely going on, then."

"Well what are we supposed to do about it?" Bing asked, sipping a spoonful of soup. "It's not like we can tell people we're seeing dead a pretty cure." The word hit Sofía with surprising poignancy, and she flinched inwardly at its finality. Dead. "I mean no one else even knew about Countess."

Sofía shook her head. "There's at least one more person outside of us three who did. Maybe we need to talk to Cerberus."

Bing frowned, looking down into her bowl. "Do you think it's Frighton again? They did say that they let all the Frighton refugees know it was safe to go back after Lady Baphomet was gone…"

The prospect hurt Sofía's heart to think about. Would the people of Frighton really go back to tormenting them after they had worked so hard to save their home?

"I guess there's only one way to find out."


	2. Chapter 2

Fay wiped the sweat from her brow as she reached for a water bottle, taking a long swig while she cooled down. The gym was nearly always packed at this time of the evening, late enough to be after classes but early enough that everyone hadn't already lost all their motivation to come. The bustle of bodies and the sound of the machines made it a good place to lose yourself in thought amongst the repetitive motions of exercise, and that was just what she needed.

Maybe it was because Sofía had described the dream she had to her earlier that morning, or maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it was, something about it wormed its way into her mind and lodged itself there, where it remained as a sour aftertaste in her thoughts for the rest of the day. In every crowd, she could swear that just beyond a layer of people stood a familiar figure with shocking pink hair and rich brown skin. She walked amongst the crowds leaving her lecture hall. She stood in line at the bookstore with all the students who finally decided to purchase their textbooks after a rough first round of midterms. She haunted the walks to and from each building, always just slightly out of focus. Even now as Fay rested on the elliptical in front of the large windows overlooking the pool, there she was swimming, or rather floating, listlessly through the water and staring straight up at her. Countess.

Arriving back home she was surprised to see both Sofía and Bing with packed day bags sitting by the doorway, the pair finishing the final preparations for dinner.

"Where are you two going? A romantic getaway without me?" Fay asked with a small smile, setting down her gym bag and hanging up backpack.

Sofía turned over her shoulder and waved, and Bing looked up from her pan as she scooped a third helping of stir fry onto an empty plate. "We need to take a little road trip back home," Bing replied simply.

"Bing saw Countess today too, and I think we need to talk to Cerberus about it," Sofía explained, setting out napkins and silverware for the threesome.

Fay's eyes widened. "O-oh. I see. I...sort of spotted her around today too. I thought maybe it was just because I was thinking about your dream but…"

"It seemed too real?" Bing asked, her dark eyes locking with Fay's pale gaze. The blonde nodded slowly, sitting down at the table with the others.

They ate in silence for a moment, until Sofía piped up hopefully. "Cerberus will know what to do. If we need to they can get us to Frighton and we can check it out ourselves."

"I never thought we'd ever have to go there again," Fay admitted. "Hopefully it'll be nicer this time around."

* * *

Road trips were the perfect opportunity to eat horrendously unhealthy foods, and belt out songs as terribly as one desired. Of course, the trio did both on the drive back to their home down. The hours of passionate singing nearly left them without their voices by the time they pulled up to Sofía's house, and the questionable content of their car ride snacks left their stomachs irritable. Knocking on the door, a surprised Andres answered, looking at the three girls in bewilderment.

"Woah, hey. I didn't expect you guys here," he admitted embarrassedly, opening the door and gesturing for them to come inside. "Sof what did you do to your hair?"

Sofía turned up her nose, running her hand along the short side of her hair. "It's a style. We came because we were having puppy withdrawals, where's the dog?" Andres shrugged, which didn't instill much confidence in the trio.

"Who knows, that dog just disappears randomly, but she always comes back at night so we gave up trying to stop it."

"A-Andres?" A quiet voice piped up from further in the house, and a girl poked her head out from around the corner. "Who's here? I thought your parents were out for the day…"

"Oh, ah, this is my sister Sofía and her...uh...girlfriends?" Andres spluttered embarrassedly, Sofía's eyes honing in on the unfamiliar girl.

"Is this your girlfriend?!" she demanded, a grin spreading across her face. "She's precious. If you're here when we get back tonight I'll have to show you some pictures of Andres as a kid, like a good big sister should," she grinned, elbowing Andres. "But right now, we have to go find Cerberus. Don't get in too much trouble, we'll be back later."

As they closed the door behind them Bing let out a snort. "Little kids in love are ridiculous."

"They are probably what, 16? Not quite little kids," Fay reminded gently.

Sofía nodded. "Bing, I had a crush on you when I was 16. It just took me a couple years to do something about it." Bing's face immediately reddened, and she looked away to hide her embarrassment.

"So where do we think Cerberus is?"

The quick change of subject was not lost on either of them, but sparingly Fay went along with it. "Why don't we try looking near the portal to Frighton?"

* * *

The woods was just as dense as it had been those years ago, but somehow less frightening despite the circumstances the trio found themselves in. Though it had been so long since any of them had walked amongst these trees, the path felt familiar as they wandered toward the clearing with the strange gnarled tree at its center.

Sure enough, as they neared they spotted a familiar young girl, looking now more like a preteen than the child they knew back in high school, sitting at the base of the tree with her eyes closed.

"Hey! Evelyn!" Sofía called out, raising a hand in greeting. Evelyn opened her eyes and smiled brightly, jumping to her feet. She ran towards the group, transforming as she ran from a young girl into a black and white three-headed dog that leapt into their arms, one head giving each girl a happy lick on the face.

"What are you doing here?" Cera asked, her white ears pricked excitedly.

"Looking for you!" Sofía laughed, "You are too heavy for me to hold for much longer though, just so you know." Cerberus slipped back down to the ground, and all three girls sat down along with them. "Andres said you like to run away now?"

Russ rolled his red eyes. "It took him forever to notice we were even gone," he snorted.

"Why were you disguised as Evelyn?" Bing inquired.

"Because when we are walking out and about as a dog people try to capture us," Cera muttered crossly, the expression on each of their faces indicating it certainly happened more than once.

"But we need to help tend to interworld relations, so being near the portal is important," Berry added, their lips pulled back in what looked like a puppy smile.

"How's that been going?" Fay asked with genuine curiosity, petting Cera's head absently.

"Excellent! Frighton is getting better and better every day as more people return from the other worlds they fled to," Berry replied proudly.

"Rebuilding is going very well," Cera added.

"There's something we've been wondering about regarding Frighton, actually," Bing mentioned, noticing the growing hesitation on Sofía's face. She placed a hand comfortingly on the smaller girl's thigh, encouraging her to speak.

"We've uh...all been encountering someone, or something, that looks like Cure Countess," Sofía began cautiously, "It doesn't seem quite real but...it's happened to each of us and we were wondering if maybe Frighton had something to do with it?"

Identical expressions of confusion crossed each of Cerberus' faces, and they glanced at one another with uncertainty. "Countess? That's...odd," Cera murmured.

"Weird," added Russ.

"Impossible," finished Berry.

"Can anyone on Frighton bring people back to life, maybe?" Fay suggested, the dog shaking their heads.

"No, that's extremely taboo," Berry insisted.

"But there is Mor…" Cera mused quietly, looking at the others.

"Mor would never do that. It goes against all the laws of the universe," Berry said firmly, though Russ didn't seem to be buying it.

The girls looked at one another in confusion, and back to the three-headed dog. "Maybe we could go to Frighton and figure this out?"

All three heads shook in unison. "Let us go, Frighton is still rebuilding and may be wary of outsiders," Berry decided.

"Will you be staying nearby?" Cera asked.

Sofía nodded, "Yeah we're going to stay the night at my house tonight, so you can let us know when you come home for the evening?" Cerberus nodded, and turned to face the tree that grew over the gates to Frighton. Each head let out a howl, Cera shooting a blue ring of light from her mouth that landed squarely on the tree, Russ emitting a red ring, and Berry a purple.

"We will see you tonight," Russ promised, and with that the dog leapt heads first into the shining hole in the bark of the tree, which immediately closed up behind them as though it had never existed in the first place.

The girls looked at one another again in surprise, and back at the old familiar tree. Bing blinked in astonishment.

"Well that was cool."

* * *

Back at the house, the gang of girls amused themselves looking through old high school yearbooks in Sofía's room until her parents came home. Mr. and Mrs. Lara were as surprised as Andres at the sight of their daughter's car parked out front, and the group went out for dinner where the girls were inevitably recognized once more, posing for pictures with those who asked before piling back into Mr. Lara's car.

"The town has stayed a bit of a tourist destination even while you three have been away at school," Mrs. Lara admitted with a bit of a laugh. "It's the strangest thing, sometimes we'll still catch people taking photos of the house, but luckily it's died down a bit the last year or so."

Sofía pouted a bit in the middle seat. "It sure gets annoying sometimes. We're just regular girls, we don't know how to handle all this really."

"Bing probably does, she was popular in school too," Fay reminded gently, Bing shooting Sofía a sly smile.

"Plus Fay had cool new girl status senior year, and was the drum major. So it's really only you, Sof."

Sofía sunk lower in her seat, crossing her arms. "You're both so mean." The two smiled, each leaning in to give Sofía a kiss on her cheeks.

"Well we like you, that's what matters right?" Fay asked with a small smile, Mr. Lara looking back at them in the rearview mirror.

"Hey none of that! You may be adults but there's still no smooching in my car."

Pulling up into the driveway they saw by the porchlight Cerberus had returned home in their one-headed form, wagging their tail as they peered out from the window.

"Thanks for the dinner, dad," Sofía said quickly, giving each of her parents a brief hug. "We're gonna go upstairs and play with the dog for a bit!"

The trio walked briskly up the flight of stairs and rounded the corner quickly into Sofía's room, Cerberus following just behind them. Sofía hopped onto her bed, laying on her stomach with her chin in her hands. "So, what did you learn?"

"You've been invited to a party!" the dog responded, their voice sounding identical to Evelyn's.

Bing froze mid-shoe removal. "A party?" she asked with furrowed brows.

"What kind of party?" Fay questioned incredulously.

"A royal party. The rulers of Frighton are finally able to return from hiding, and you have been invited to their welcome back party as guests of honor," Cerberus explained. "You will need to purchase formalwear; this is royalty we're talking about."

"Oooh can we wear our prom dresses again? We looked so good," Sofía gushed.

Cerberus wrinkled their nose, "I don't think prom dresses are appropriate to wear anywhere except prom," they countered, Sofía's face falling in rejection.

"We can go shopping tomorrow, while we're down here," Fay suggested, "There's some little boutiques downtown that will probably have some cute things."

Bing sat down on the bed beside Sofía. "Wait wait wait, back up. I didn't know Frighton had rulers? I mean besides Lady Baphomet…"

"Oh yes, we do. They are lieges Mor and Desi. They fled with as many peaceful citizens as they could during the rebellion, and have not been seen or heard from since. So their return is a very joyous occasion, you should be honored to be invited."

"Well we did save their world," Sofía mumbled, rolling her eyes, "The least they could do is invite us to a party. Will there be drinks provided?"

"Hey that's not fair I'm the only one who isn't 21 yet," Fay pouted.

"Who says the drinking age on Frighton is 21 anyway, you should be fine Fay," Bing assured her, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

Sofía wrinkled her nose as she thought, "Does Frighton even have laws? Or booze?"

Cerberus shot the three a pointed look. "The point is, you will have access to the highest powers in Frighton, you may ask them anything you like. If anyone knows why you are having these visions, they will, and they will be able to sort everything out."

"How do they know?" Bing asked, sliding to lay on her side and propping her head up with her hand. "Are they omnipotent?"

"Oooh good word choice," Fay complimented with light applause, Bing smiling proudly.

Cerberus rolled their eyes, clearly growing annoyed with their antics. "No, but these matters fall into their area of expertise. Mor reigns over the plane of death, while Desi is the begetter of grief. Surely one of these two things has to do with your visions."

Fay frowned slightly. "That doesn't sound very pleasant."

"We from Frighton live very differently from you here on earth. If you can learn to see fear as an asset, why not grief and loss?"

Sofía rolled over onto her back, letting her head hang backward off the edge of the bed. "This is going to be one hell of a party."


	3. Chapter 3

The sleepy town of Red Hollow didn't appear to have actually changed much in the years they had been away, but perception was a fickle thing. In fact it had never seemed sleepy at all until the three began living in a college town with hundreds of things to see and do and parties every night depending on the crowd one associated with. The change of pace back home was welcomed, and the girls strolled down the quiet streets of the downtown area in search of a store that carried formal wear.

"We might have to go into a big city to find a place that sells stuff that's royalty worthy," Fay mused, peering into the store windows as they passed.

"We might have to go overseas," Bing snorted, "I don't think anyone expects to hang out with royalty here."

"Oooh, look at these!" Sofía gushed, stopping and pressing her face against one of the display windows. "They're probably for homecoming but they could pass as cocktail dresses!"

Fay stopped behind her and glanced over her head at the offerings on display. "We could pull together a nice outfit with those and a good pair of heels!"

The word nearly made Bing break out into a sweat. "Heels?"

"I'll teach you," Fay assured with a kiss on the cheek as she swung open the door, "Don't worry!"

Fay's attempt at words of comfort didn't seem to do much for Bing, but she entered the store apprehensive as she was. Almost immediately after the door to the boutique swung shut behind them a shrill shriek sounded from the other side of the store, and the girls each instinctively took fighting stances until the threat revealed itself.

In a blur of red hair and squeals, Peyton bolted across the store and threw her arms around Sofía, very nearly knocking her down in the process. "Sofíííííííaaaaaaaa! I haven't seen you in so long, how have you been?!" she gushed, reaching her arms out and pulling Bing and Fay into the hug as well. "You're all here! This is so exciting, like a senior year lunch table reunion!" Bing stiffened noticeably while Fay returned the embrace with a warm smile, Sofía finding her face smushed into Peyton's chest in the center of the tight group hug.

Mercifully, Peyton pulled back from the embrace allowing Sofía to breathe once more, and the redhead placed her hands on her hips. "So what brings you gals in today? Going somewhere special?"

"We need help picking out some formal attire," Sofía explained, "We've been invited to a fancy party. Peyton's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands together with a giddy smile.

"Oh man that's great! Do you each know what kind of dress styles you like? Or colors? And length? Oh! Will you be dancing?"

Peyton rattled off a list of questions long enough to be appropriate for a dating profile, but after a few hours of painstaking trial and error each girl left the store with their attire for their royal engagement. Fay selected a long, flowing pale pink grecian style dress with a modest neckline, and the most towering silver heels Bing had ever laid eyes on. Sofía on the other hand selected much more modest heels and a maroon dress with a simple halter top, but a wild skirt with so much tulle in the petticoat that it nearly looked like a magical girl outfit on its own. It was Bing however who surprised the group by going well beyond her boyish comfort zone and selecting a daring bodycon dress in navy with a high neckline, but a low open back. Understandably, she took fewer risks on the shoes, and settled on a pair of nice flats.

Immediately upon arriving back at Sofía's house the girls and Mr. Lara began making alterations so that each dress fit the wearer as perfectly as possible. While they let on that the occasion was a party on Frighton, Sofía thought it best to describe it as a 'thank-you-for-saving-us' party, rather than a 'welcoming-back-gods-of-death-and-grief' party. A little white lie never hurt anyone, after all.

* * *

Cerberus sat in their dog form, hanging their head out the window as Sofía drove around the wooded area trying to find a secluded place to park her car, just in case they were gone longer than anticipated. Were anyone in the park that day the sight surely would have seemed odd, a car full of twenty somethings dressed to the nines with a peculiar patterned dog driving in circles around the local park in an old clunker of a car.

As they parked and climbed out into the cool night air, Cerberus shifted from a dog into a human in one smooth stride, exiting the car as Evelyn.

"So are we going to have to go through that underground gate again?" Sofía asked worriedly, gripping her fluffy skirt in her hands. "It was really mucky and gross and I don't wanna get there looking like shit."

"Plus there was that whole 'navigate your worst nightmares' thing," Bing pointed out with a shudder at the memory. "I'd rather not do that again."

Evelyn shook her head, the curls of her hair bouncing around her face as she skipped through the woods. "Because relations with Frighton are improving they've reopened direct portals, so the journey should be much more pleasant this time around."

Nearing the familiar twisted tree Evelyn ran ahead and placed both of her hands on the trunk, closing her eyes in concentration. In a matter of seconds the ground beneath them began to shake, Sofía nearly losing her balance and grabbing onto Fay who proved to be much more sure-footed in her heels. The tree rose slowly, its roots lifting up the trunk and raising it well above the height of the other trees, the wrought iron gate the three had encountered all those years ago raising with it. With a gentle tap from Evelyn's hand, the gate creaked open, and an inky blackness formed on the other side, swirling and undulating unsteadily.

"Well, there's your ride! A welcome party should be there to greet you, I've arranged a tour guide to show you all around the new Frighton!" Evelyn quipped cheerfully. "Just make sure to follow your guide and don't take it personally if some of the people there aren't especially outgoing, many of them have been in hiding for a long time and might be nervous around foreigners."

Sofía's brows furrowed in befuddlement. "Wait, aren't you coming with us?"

Evelyn shook her head with a cheery "Nope! I'm the only Frighton liaison on Earth right now, so I need to make sure to stay here just in case I'm needed. But don't worry, you were just fine on your last adventure without much help from me."

"Yeah but we had-" Sofía stopped herself from saying the name, Fay frowning slightly and Bing casting her eyes sideways uneasily.

"You'll always have each other," Evelyn assured them with a weak smile. "And I'll be here if you really need me, they will be able to contact me from Frighton. Now hurry up, you don't want to be late to the party!"

The three girls approached the dark portal behind the gate, each taking a second to clasp one another's hands tightly and mentally ready themselves. Hearts and legs in perfect unison, they stepped into the portal.

Immediately they were engulfed in darkness, and instinctively each girl tightened their grip on the other. Memories of the last trip to Frighton and all the horrors in entailed flashed through their minds, terrible images creeping forth like predatory reminders of their past ready to pounce at any given moment. All was silent except for one another's ragged breathing, until Sofía let out a sharp gasp that cut through the darkness.

"What, what is it?!" Bing asked in a blind panic, unable to see what was going on.

"Bing now is not the time to touch my butt you scared the shit out of me."

"What?!" Bing snapped, "I didn't touch your butt why do you always assume it's me?!"

"Because Fay always asks first," Sofía whispered back harshly.

"It's true, I do always ask," Fay's voice chimed in with an inappropriately cheerful voice.

"Plus you're the one with the butt thing."

"The butt thing?! Is this about the other night because I swear to god it was just a suggestion I-"

"Sorry...I did it," a fourth, unaccounted for voice piped up, causing all three girls to freeze. "I'm sorry I manifested very close to you. It's just me, Anubis."

"Anubis?"

"Your PreFear, remember?"

As realization dawned on Sofía two faint giggles echoed throughout the lightless space.

"I can't believe you did that Anubis," Reaper chided between high pitched giggles that sounded right in Fay's ear. A lower, husky laugh erupted from Scarecrow who, thankfully, stood a few paces back from Bing.

A crack of light shone down from above them as the darkness appeared to melt away. It grew larger, appearing like a wet crooked smile until it all fell down around them with a splat. The trio breathed a sigh of relief as their ability to see returned, and they ensured their dresses hadn't been damaged by the goop that had ferried them there.

"We're going...to go see...what's new," Scarecrow informed the trio, its companions joining by its side as it lurched unsteadily away. "Have...fun."

"Tootles!" Fay called sweetly, the other two raising their hands in farewell as the hunchbacked mummy, the unsteady scarecrow, and the deathly reaper scuttled off for what looked like a proper town.

"Wow, Cerberus wasn't kidding were they?" Bing breathed, looking around at the drastically altered surroundings. If Red Hollow had stayed mostly the same, it was likely because Frighton was hogging all the opportunities for change. What was once a desolate grey wasteland now had a bustling little village, with a larger city glimmering off in the distance. Admittedly, both of these new features remained a drab grey, but Frighton had an aesthetic to uphold.

Ruins of Lady Baphomet's castle still loomed close by where they stood, but seemed far less menacing now with all the life that surrounded it, and the twisted tree that marked the portal between Earth and Frighton seemed dwarfed by the potential of all the new creations. The unsettling pulsating red sun remained from their last visit, but the flickers were now much more relaxed than the feverish beating during their showdown with Lady Baphomet, as though the world itself were more at peace.

Just as Sofía wondered absently if staring at Frighton's sun was just as bad as it was on Earth, a dark shape blocked it out. What started as a small mass in front of the sun grew larger as it neared, casting a shadow over the trio who all wished their PreFears were here for some security as a large beast crashed down just in front of them.

The thing was immense, towering over Fay at nearly seven feet tall and had winged arms bent at odd angles that stretched far to either side. It didn't appear to have a mouth on its dark face, but it did have long knotted red horns, glowing yellow eyes stretched wide open, and fiery hair that flew behind it.

Bing and Sofía let out a shriek which seemed to satisfy the creature as it stood upright, wrapping a long cloak around itself and shaking with what might have been silent laughter before turning its attention to Fay, stretching out its neck towards her and locking eyes.

"Hi there, are you our tour guide?" Fay asked curiously, holding out a hand in greeting. "What's your name?"

The creature looked puzzled for a second, but twisted one of its giant talons from under the cloak and placed it in Fay's hand, though the arrangement of its joints made a proper shake difficult. Despite its immense size, its voice was high pitched and soft, gentle on the ears.

"My name is...Acacia," she replied, her voice nearly a whisper.

Fay beamed while Sofía and Bing held onto one another tightly. "Nice to meet you Acacia! We are the Spooky! Pretty Cure, my name is Fay and that's Bing and that's Sofía!" Acacia's glowing yellow eyes widened in recognition, and she nodded with a cheery expression.

"Acacia! Are you trying to scare our guests?!" A young girl's voice carried from the direction of the village. The trio turned their head to spy a girl in a simple pink dress approaching them from the town, though she appeared to be walking backwards as she did so, with her hands on her hips. "That's not very nice of you!"

Acacia wrapped her cloak tightly around herself and hung her head in shame at the child's scolding. As the backwards walking child grew near, Acacia spread her wings and took to the sky, whispering a quiet "See you later" as she soared off at incredible speeds.

"Sorry about that imp, she gets a kick out of scaring people but she's really nice," the girl assured the cures as she reached their position. "My name's Kumi; Cerberus asked me to be your tour guide before the party!"

Sofía smiled, putting her hand on Kumi's shoulder. "Hi there Kumi, you're sure good at walking backwards! You must've been practicing a lot for your tour, but I wouldn't want you to get hurt," she said in her patented talking-to-kids voice she had perfected while working at Camp Precure, turning the child around. Immediately she jumped backwards, realizing in that moment that the little girl in the pink dress had a smooth, featureless face.

"Oh my god, our tour guide doesn't have a face," Sofía cried, burying her own face in Bing's side.

"And our tour guide is a child," Bing wept, leaning dramatically on Fay who gave her a reassuring pat on the head.

"Please don't be afraid, I do have a face don't worry!" Kumi insisted, turning around so that her back faced them. Sofía peeked out from Bing's side, and upon closer inspection realized the girl did indeed have a face, only it was on the back of her head. Large white eyes shone from underneath the girl's black bob of hair, and a white mouth stretched into a reassuring smile.

Sofía laughed nervously, "Oh, you're right...haha...you do have a face." Bing stood up on her own once more, but refused to look at the child as she gestured for them to follow her, walking backwards for the more populated area of Frighton.

"Frighton is very different from what it was when you were here, Pretty Cure!" Kumi chirped, "I'm going to show you all the new great things we have! Right now you're in the ruins, it's a preserved national park so we won't change it! It's to remember where we came from."

Bing looked off to the side, eying the remnants of the castle Baphomet had attempted to build, and the strange tree that mirrored their own on earth where Evelyn...Cerberus had been captured. The memory conjured bees in her gut that made her feel queasy, a few stinging at her heart and releasing the poison of rotten memories as they walked away from that sordid place.

"But Frighton is so much more than ruins now, I can't wait for you to see!"

* * *

Author's Note: Acacia was created by MadBunsArt and Kumi was created by TwinkleCupcake


	4. Chapter 4

None of the earthling girls were able to shake the feeling of slight unease as they followed behind the backward-faced child. Though all the menace and dread that had once pervaded this world was now gone, it was still just a little bit too creepy to feel completely calm and let their guard down. Speaking of dread…

"Oh!" Fay piped up suddenly. "Kumi, do you know what happened to the dread? Did they disappear with Lady Baphomet or are they still around?" The group crossed over the edge of the village on the outskirts of the city, little grey houses and shops now erected somewhat haphazardly in a small cluster. None of the buildings were evenly spaced, and many of them tilted at odd angles, but the erratic constructions came off as somewhat endearing. After all, none of the girls expected there to be many skilled urban planners on the world of fear.

"The dread have integrated quite well with the rest of the Frightonians," Kumi quipped, "They are excellent fear regulators, since they are created directly from it they are very sensitive to the currents that run from world to world. Others have even chosen to open their own shops, like this one right here!" The backwards girl gestured to a shop door swinging open, a dread standing on two pointed legs walking out with a broom held between the sharp stubs of its forelegs. Around its waist hung a small white apron, and atop its featureless head the creature had tied a small bandana. It swept the storefront, whistling a tune in a manner that sounded strangely like a hiss, pausing as the group approached and looking up with its eyeless face.

The dread waved a pointed foreleg at the group cheerfully, its black, fox like tail wagging enthusiastically behind it, conspicuously lacking a terror mask at the end. The girls waved back in return, Sofía particularly enamored with the sight as the little shopkeeper gestured at the door of the shop.

"It's so cute," she whispered excitedly to her partners, neither of whom could deny its charm.

"This dread would like to give you some of its wares," Kumi explained, "As a gift for freeing them from Lady Baphomet."

Sofía's lip wibbled with barely contained gratitude. "You don't have to give us anything, small friend." Bing could have sworn she saw a single perfect tear fall from her girlfriend's eye.

"Are you crying?" Fay asked with concern, Sofía then shaking her head vehemently.

"I'm not crying, I'm just...glistening."

The dread, who had retreated into its store, now reappeared holding a tray that it offered to the trio insistently. Upon the platter sat three piles of grey sludge, each topped with what looked like a single hair. The way it jiggled indicated it was gelatinous in nature, or perhaps alive.

"Oh lucky day! The dish it is offering you is a Frightonian delicacy, it's very expensive," Kumi explained, hanging her head in reverence. "We call them Fright Bites."

Bing swallowed hard. "What is it ma-"

"Let's all take a bite!" Sofía interrupted quickly, preferring to eat it as a mystery substance on the off chance learning what it was made of made her feel sick. Fay shot Sofía a worried look while Bing simply continued staring down at the wiggling glop. Each picked up the utensil offered to them, and scooped up a healthy amount.

"1...2...3."

The girls chewed slowly, considering the texture and the flavor with the care of a reality cooking show host before any dared to speak.

"That was amazing," Sofía breathed, Bing immediately nodding and scraping up the little remains of her helping on the dread's tray. Fay said nothing with her words, but the pained smile on her lips said everything they needed to know. Sofía and Bing quickly scooped up the remainder of her portion between the two of them. "You're an excellent cook. We might have to take some home with us!"

Bing nodded in agreement, reaching out to scratch behind the dread's ears, causing it to vibrate contentedly, not unlike a cat's purr. "I want to bring a dread home with us," she frowned, "Makes me miss Poe."

"Edgar Allen Poe?" Kumi asked, "He was a very popular human here on Frighton. We quite enjoyed his visits as well."

Sofía snorted, and Bing shook her head slowly while Fay's face remained frozen in the same pained smile. "No, my cat Poe. He died last year, but he kind of looked like a dread," she laughed softly.

"Ahh," Kumi nodded sagely. "I would love a kitty. Frighton does not have any animals like on earth, or even plants except for the earth tree portal. All life here is conscious and self-aware."

The idea puzzled Bing, though she came to realize the closest thing they had observed to plant life on Frighton were the screaming flowers that dotted the perimeter of Baphomet's shell of a castle, and even those seemed...alive. More alive than the plants on earth, that is.

"Thank you for your sample of Frightonian cuisine, but we must keep going! Euryale is waiting."

"I thought the names of the people we were meeting were Desi and Mor?" Sofía questioned, suddenly concerned she had spent all that time memorizing the wrong names, surely a royal faux pas.

Kumi let out a laugh as they began walking once more. "Desi and Mor aren't people! They are supreme beings," she corrected matter-of-factly. "Euryale is the bookkeeper and historian. She wanted to meet with you, and will take you to meet Desi and Mor."

* * *

The road to Euryale's library lead the group past a small school where Kumi proudly announced her recent good grades, and a myriad of other shops (none of which were stopped at per Fay's insistence). It was clear when they arrived at their destination, the building like a marker between the ramshackle buildings of the village and the bigger, more elaborate buildings of the main city.

The library was much more intricate in its architecture than the buildings of the village, with a large, imposing doorway and swooping trusses that arched toward the red sky. "And this is Frighton's library and historical museum!" Kumi introduced, "When the people first fled, many managed to steal away pieces of our history for safekeeping. What we've managed to hold onto all these years can be found here! Maybe after the party you can have a look around, but for now you have to meet with Eurayle; she's gonna be your escort for the party!"

Skipping off backwards (a feat that managed to impress the girls regardless of whether or not the girl's face was on the other side) Kumi had nearly rounded the corner and disappeared before Bing called out to her. "Wait! What does she look like?"

"You'll know, she's the only one ever in there!" Kumi called back dismissively, vanishing around the building just as anticipated.

She wasn't wrong.

Inside the building stood nearly empty, with some books scattered about and pieces of art seemingly random in their placement throughout the space. What appeared to be words of an indecipherable language were scrawled across the moldings high above their heads, and an ornate chandelier hung down in the center, lit by several candles that shed a warm, gentle light.

There was indeed only one other person in the building, at first appearing humanoid in shape but casting light off the scales that covered her body. Where hair might have sprouted from her head instead there were snakes, several of whom appeared to notice them enter as they raised their heads to look at the girls in the doorway. The woman seemed to take notice of this, and turned away from the bookshelf where she had been organizing with a stack of books in her hand, revealing a face entirely covered by a ruffled veil.

"Oh mercy me! I am sorry, I didn't hear you come in," the woman apologized, walking, or rather slithering, out from behind the stack where she worked. It wasn't until then that they noticed below her long, draping skirt was a massive snake's tail rather than a pair of legs. Despite the veil over her eyes, she appeared to see them staring as she looked down at her tail suddenly, seeming flustered. "My sincerest apologies! I sometimes forget that the Pretty Cure are earthlings, this form should be more suitable to your tastes."

Before any of the trio could say a word a flash of light and scales distracted their thoughts, and the woman, Eurayle, now bore a pair of humanoid legs, though they too were adorned in scales like the rest of her.

Bing reached up to rub her eyes, though her hands were abruptly smacked away my Fay who gestured to her makeup sternly.

"That's alright!" Sofía assured with a small smile, "Your tail doesn't bother any of us!"

Eurayle shook her head insistently, "No it's quite alright, this will be better for mingling at the party anyway. I'm not one for having my tail stepped on in crowded places, as it were." She jumped suddenly, as though jolted by lightning or struck with divine inspiration. "Oh! I haven't even introduced myself yet, I am Eurayle. You have my eternal gratitude for saving my home." The gorgon bowed her head in thanks. "It is my honor to escort you to the party. Have any of you met leiges Mor and Desi in the past?"

Fay shook her head, "We were told they fled during the war, which started before any of us were even born." Bing and Sofía nodded in agreement.

Eurayle clapped her hands to her veiled face, "Oh my word that's right! Humans do not live very long do they? You might think I'd recall this more readily considering the hundreds of years spent on Earth. Maybe thousands, time gets away from me on occasion."

"Where on Earth were you living?" Bing asked incredulously, doubting this woman could live a normal life on Earth even with her magic legs.

Moving a hefty stack of books aside with a heavy slam, Eurayle brushed the ensuing dust cloud off. "Here and there. Greece, mostly. But Frighton is my true home." She approached the group, seeming a bit nervous as she neared. "Are you all prepared? It's not every day a human gets an honor like this!"

* * *

Walking through the city was like an entirely different world than the one the backwards girl had shown them earlier. The village seemed sparsely populated, with little buildings and humble shops. Here within the city limits, creatures of all shapes and sizes darted about between towering castle-like complexes. A man with blank eyes and glowing blue hair drifted by down one side of the street, a pair of stitched up creatures resembling stuffed rabbits made by Satan himself tumbled playfully down the other.

"Everyone is very excited about the return of our rulers," Eurayle commented with a dreamy sigh, clasping her hands together. "Mor and Desi bring stability to this place, they've been sorely missed."

"We heard that they have powers over death and grief?" Sofía asked cautiously, unsure of how to broach the subject of the trio's strange visions. It was, after all, half the point of coming here in the first place.

They crossed into a grand courtyard of what appeared to be a mansion, made of slate grey stone like everything else but freshly polished and well manicured. "Yes. Mor is the embodiment of death. They visit as a grim shadow, so you humans never seem to agree on what they look like, but many have glimpsed their visage either in a near-death experience or from the corner of their eye. Desi embodies grief, they are much stealthier than their counterpart. I don't believe I've ever seen a human depiction of their form, which is a shame because they are terribly alluring."

"Would either of them...have anything against us?" Fay asked tentatively, not entirely sure she wanted to hear the answer either way.

"Why of course not! In all their infinite power they do not have time to pester individuals. They uphold their solemn duty regardless of personal feelings, and that is why they are woefully misunderstood and hated by many who don't see their purpose. But that is also why they are great."

The courtyard was decorated with all manner of fine black silks, elegant torches ablaze with blue flames lit the area in the fast approaching dusk. Citizens of Frighton milled about with one another, though oddly many of them did not speak with their partners, despite behaving as though they were conversing. A high pitched giggle danced through the air, and the girls turned to see Reaper running away playfully from a clown-like creature that floated after her, Anubis and Scarecrow entirely too slow to keep up with this game.

"How come some people don't talk?" Bing asked, gesturing to a pair of dread who seemed to chortle silently together at one of the buffet tables.

"Language is not as important here on Frighton. We have a written language but many cannot read or write, and more still do not or cannot speak," Eurayle explained gently, a few of her snakes tasting the air in search of food. "This is why my library is not as popular as it might be on a world like yours. But we are all acutely in tune with one another here, that is what is most important. We learn to see beyond what is said. For example, I can tell you, Witch, that you are uneasy about a task you must complete in the future. Pumpkin is quite anxious for the arrival of Desi and Mor, and Spectre is hoping there is some Earth food here."

Fay giggled quietly, shrugging her shoulders up to her ears. A large, dark shadow cast over the party, bathing them in a darkness that chilled the girls but seemed to ignite excitement in everyone else. For a moment Sofía worried that it was that red imp from before come to scare them once again, but as she looked around Acacia could be seen standing in a black dress with her robe draped over her winged arms, looking up at the sky in anticipation.

The dark blot in front of the setting sun grew larger, and with a powerful rumble the beast landed just before the steps of the mansion. Large, grey and powerful, the creature that now stood before them had the body of a monochrome lion, powerful legs planted firmly in the ground as it folded its massive wings against its back. Its head was like that of a woman, pale with long black hair that gave an elegant appearance to the imposing monster, its wide eyes with black sclera adding a level of intimidation the girls had come to associate with many of Frighton's inhabitants.

"It's Moirai," Eurayle breathed in awe, her snake hair beginning to writhe with excitement, "The royal guard. Desi and Mor are here."

* * *

Authors Notes: Eurayle created by Syntaxeme background characters by Kukuandkookie


	5. Chapter 5

The pulsating red sun beat fervently as everyone on Frighton collectively held their breath, all eyes trained on the door to the manor at the end of the courtyard. The door slowly creaked open, low hanging fog billowing out of the entryway like they had installed a hollywood-grade fog machine just behind the door.

The first figure emerged slowly, floating across the threshold with its pale toes dragging ever so slightly across the ground. They were tall, Fay estimated somewhere around 7.5 feet if they were flat-footed on the ground, which they weren't. Their long legs hung limp beneath a sturdy body clad only in a black leotard with a tight turtleneck opening, not dissimilar to those the Cures wore, minus the spiderweb pattern and chest cutout. On the sides of the torso, where shoulders ought to be instead sprouted a pair of what looked to be roses. Similar flowers grew from the wrists of the being's gloved hands that floated along with them as they moved forward, limp at their side. The figure's head was entirely bald and smooth, save for a pair of angular pronged horns that sprouted from either side and darted upward. Where one would expect to find a face (though the girls at this point had come to grips with the fact that on Frighton expecting a face was rather foolish) instead the being bore a dark hole that took up the entirety of the front of the skull and swirled about languidly like a whirlpool of strange dark matter.

With a bow the figure sent the crowd into uproarious cheers, Eurayle's snakes flailing about with wild abandon as she applauded amongst the roars and hisses of other creatures. "That is Liege Mor, Ruler of Death," she informed quickly as the girls clapped politely, each hardly able to take their eyes off the figure, Mor.

Slowly it floated to the side of the doorway, legs swinging loosely below its torso as one of the gloved hands rose, gesturing towards the now vacant doorway. A few white flower petals fluttered out along the fog, Sofía watching one tumble its way through the air and land delicately atop the toe of her shoe.

The shadow of a second figure filled the doorway, drifting forward just as Mor had. Unlike Mor, this figure didn't appear to have any legs at all. Lower extremities could have been obscured by the long, flowing gown they wore, but the way it billowed beneath the body suggested that there was nothing to this creature below the torso. This one did have arms, but at the elbow they turned into dark, almost twig-like forearms with long boney fingers laced neatly together in front. White flower petals fluttered out from beneath the creature's dress, as well as from the full blooms on either side of their head. The flowers sprouted just before a pair of curved horns that arched backwards and curled over themselves in a graceful spiral. The back of the figure's hair was tightly coiled in what resembled a regal updo, but the front of the hair was pin straight, and hung straight down obscuring the face entirely and nearly touching the ground above which it floated.

In the instant it emerged from the dark, Sofía knew this was the other figure she had seen in her dream, and she felt a cold chill grip the back of her neck. Fay seemed entranced by Frighton's second ruler, though Bing happened to notice the goosebumps sprouting along Sofía's skin.

"Everything okay?" she whispered quietly, suddenly drowned out as the crowd erupted in cheers and roars once again. Sofía stared in silence as Eurayle leaned down to speak once again.

"And this is Leige Desi, Ruler of Grief."

Mor raised a hand to quiet the crowd, which was entirely too excited to be hushed by such a simple gesture. Clearly annoyed the giant sphinx guard Moirai let out a bellowing roar, baring her immense teeth as she did, which proved a much more effective way of quieting the crowd.

"Thank you...all...for coming," Mor began slowly, their voice strange and viscous, as though the words fought to escape their throat.

"It has been a long time since we have seen many of you, and yet we could feel your spirits with us throughout this tumultuous time," Desi continued, their voice flowing with ease and spilling through the silence like running water. "First we would like to thank Moirai for providing us, and many of you, with protection while the world was in its state of unrest."

"Please join us...in applause for her devout loyalty...and courage," Mor instructed, limbless gloved hands beginning a powerful clap that evolved into a spirited round of applause that spread across the crowd, Desi gently clapping with her delicate hands like they might break were she too forceful. The girls joined in the applause as the sphinx closed her black eyes and bowed her head humbly, tendrils of her dark hair slipping off her lioness shoulders and reaching to the ground.

As the applause died down Moirai straightened back to an attentive posture, her dark eyes surveying the crowd critically. "Secondly," Mor continued, "We have...special guests here today." The gloved hand rose high into the air and gestured towards the back of the crowd, directly at the three girls who tensed slightly as all manner of creatures turned to face them.

"The three Pretty Cure warriors who saved our world from destruction, and returned it to its rightful rulers are present tonight," Desi elaborated, also raising an arm to gesture in their direction. "Please join us in welcoming these valiant warriors to the front as our guests of honor."

The cheers were immediate, and Eurayle stepped behind the group and nudged each of them forward, "Go, go!" she encouraged excitedly with a hushed whisper, "This is a marvelous opportunity for you all, thank you for visiting with me, Pretty Cure!"

Nervously each of the girls stepped forward, a path opening up before them in the crowd as they huddled together, each adorned with warm smiles and hands raised in acknowledgement at the cheers. Moirai watched the trio carefully, though she too plodded at the ground with one of her forepaws in something that resembled applause crossed with a kneading kitten.

"You all...look lovely," Mor complemented, despite their apparent lack of eyes. "Would you like...to speak to the people…?"

Bing tensed immediately, turning to Sofía with an expression halfway between panic and fury. "Were we supposed to prepare a speech?!" she asked in a hushed whisper, Fay wringing her hands and turning to Sofía for answers as well.

The shortest of the team cleared her throat and stepped forward, planting her feet firmly and locking her knees to hide any signs she was shaking. "I just wanted to say...I think the people of Frighton are exceptionally resilient. Walking through it today we got to see how quickly you all have been able to pick yourselves up in only a matter of a couple years, and that is amazing."

Bing nodded sagely, while Fay simply stood at attention and smiled.

"And...we wouldn't have been able to defeat Lady Baphomet without the help of you all. The powers lent to us, the help of our PreFears, and the guidance of the Dread. So thank you all."

More applause scattered through the crowd, and a wave of dread scurried forward, wheeling a large, cloaked object on a hand truck.

"Speaking of that, the Dread have a gift they collectively worked on for the three of you, and would like to present it now," Desi explained, the little shadowy fox figures nodding enthusiastically. In unison they all grabbed ahold of the sheet that draped over the object, and pulled it off with a flourish to reveal a statue of the three girls standing victoriously at the base of the tree portal. Bing's eyes widened and Fay clapped her hands together excitedly.

"We look...beautiful," she breathed, a grin spreading across Sofía's face.

"It's absolutely amazing!" Sofía cried, throwing her hands in the air unceremoniously. "Thank you all so much! Can we come see it up close?" The dread all nodded, and the girls scurried over to have a closer look.

"The statue will be mounted here in the courtyard in remembrance for all you did for us," Desi explained. "You three are a symbol of courage for all." Sofía ran her hand gently over the smooth stone surface, admiring the stunning craftsmanship when suddenly a pang of sadness dug its claws into her heart. It wasn't just the three of them that defeated Baphomet.

"What about Countess?" she asked, the name immediately ushering a hush over the crowd. Bing and Fay looked about nervously, the tension now present weighing heavy on the atmosphere.

"Cure Countess...is less beloved," Mor explained simply, a statement that made Sofía scowl.

"What? Why? She helped to save you all too. If it weren't for her we might have died, and you'd all still be scattered around the universe in hiding!"

"She also attempted to destroy the entire world," Desi explained coolly, "Which gave rise to Lady Baphomet in the first place. It is a complex relationship."

Tears now brimming in Sofía's eyes, she turned unexpectedly and darted through the crowd and out of the courtyard.

"Sofía!" Bing called desperately, she and Fay looking around nervously as a murmur of uncertainty rose from the crowd.

"Our apologies, your majesties," Fay said, bowing her head in respect. "We will go and find her and return as soon as possible. I hope everyone will eat and be merry while we are gone!" The two women took off at a gentle jogging pace, which Bing was impressed Fay could manage in her towering heels on the uneven walkway, finding Sofía hiding behind a pillar of one of the city's buildings, her knees hugged to her chest.

"Sofía, sweetheart," Fay murmured gently, crouching down beside her and giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "We've got to go back to the party."

Sofía shook her head, wiping tears from her cheeks. "No one understands. No one knew her like we did. No one else misses her," she cried softly. "We are the only ones still hurting."

Bing knelt down beside her and wrapped all three of them into a tight embrace. "You're right. No one here gets it, but that's something special we get to share, isn't it? Her memory?"

"What if they're hurting her?" Sofía choked, "What if that's why we've been seeing her? What if Mor has her soul trapped somewhere for revenge and she's trying to ask us for help?"

Bing and Fay exchanged worried looks, the loss for words as poignant as any verbalized concerns. "Why don't we go talk to them?" Fay suggested, "And get this whole thing straightened out. Then we can say we need to go home and rest."

A gust of air blew past the girls as the red imp Acacia landed not too far away, wrapping her cloak around herself and approaching the trio, cocking her head in concern. Sofía refused to make eye contact, instead burying her head behind her knees.

"Everyone's worried," Acacia explained, her voice a breathy whisper on the still air.

"We're okay," Fay insisted with a weak smile.

Bing cleared her throat to loosen the knot that had formed there. "Do you think Mor and Desi would speak with us? It's important."

Acacia nodded with definitive certainty. "I will inform them." With another powerful gust she was gone, and Sofía peeked her head up, wiping away makeup tinted tears from her cheeks.

"I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me…"

Bing shook her head insistently, "No, don't be sorry. Being back here makes me feel strange too…" Fay nodded in silent agreement.

"...pardon us…"

The voice snuck up on the trio, its source unseen as the girls looked about in surprise. Slowly from the shadow cast by the pillar where they hid peeled up the dark silhouette of Mor, until their body was fully realized before them. A gentle breeze picked up, much calmer than Acacia's powerful whirlwinds, and a flurry of white petals conglomerated just above the ground, forming the shape of Desi, their dress billowing beneath them even after the breeze fell still.

"We did not intend to upset you," Desi explained quietly, "We are sorry to have done so."

"Acacia tells us...you have questions?" Mor inquired, their disembodied hands clasped neatly before them.

"It's about Cure Countess," Fay began with trepidation, looking to Bing for help.

"We've had visions of her; all three of us have," Bing continued. "We're thankful for your recognition and the party but...the reason we wanted to come was to ask you…" She faltered.

"If you might know anything about it?" Fay finished.

The question hung in the thick silence of the air for longer than was comfortable. Perhaps it was as Eurayle had explained, and they were communing silently with one another before responding. Perhaps they just didn't know what to say.

"Was there anything unusual about her death?" Bing asked, looking to Mor. The dark swirling matter on their pale face churned more quickly, as though digging up old memories from the depths.

"Please understand...I do not kill," Mor began, "I simply guide those whose time is gone...through the transition."

"Where did you take her to?" Fay asked, "Could she be lost? Or trapped?"

"By the time I arrive...what the life once was only exists to me. There is nowhere for your friend to be...trapped. She has not gone anywhere physically...her soul as you may call it...is not a tangible thing. While I guided her...she was at peace. But there is one place...she may be restless."

Bing furrowed her brow, trying to understand the intricacies of something far beyond human knowledge. All she could manage to say was, "Where?"

"Who she once was and is exists...only here with me. But a piece of her life remains...here with you." The gloved hands unclasped and floated slowly over to the trio, tapping a finger gently against Fay and Bing's head. "It is here...that there may be unrest."

"Then it was you."

Sofía spoke up suddenly for the first time since the rulers of Frighton had arrived, standing up and looking straight Desi, their face still shrouded by their floor-length hair. "I saw you in my dream when she came to me. Are you the one doing this to us?"

Mor turned slowly to face the other ethereal being, their hands drifting away from the girls and back to their sides. "Did you visit her? And the others?"

Silence. Desi's twig thin hands clasped together tightly.

"Did you visit them?!" Mor's voice became suddenly much deeper, a bellow that surely could have been heard from the party hundreds of yards away.

"I was trying to help, because-"

"You know what happens...when you try to help, Desi," Mor interrupted harshly, Desi's head now hanging somehow lower than their usual stooped posture. "When you interfere...with my process."

"Our process," Desi corrected, albeit meekly without the slightest hint of conviction in their voice.

A dark shadow fell across the group once again, the girls looking up now expecting either Acacia or Moirai to be descending to investigate the source of the commotion. Instead they saw neither.

What moved through the sky swayed from side to side as it descended, swimming through the sky like a great sea creature. As it neared, it appeared to be like a cross between a shrimp with its long, thin legs and flowing antennae, and an eel with the way it wormed through the air. It touched down to the ground gently despite its immense size, easily thirty feet in length and taller on its spindly legs than both Desi and Mor. All five seemed entirely entranced by the creatures entrance, and it looked upon them with four eyes along its face.

"I'm terribly sorry," the creature began, "Have I interrupted something important?"

Mor seemed to regain some of their composure, responding with an even-tempered, "No."

"I don't mean to intrude, I just couldn't help but sense a great deal of hostility coming from right about here."

"It is Frighton business, but thank you for your concern," Desi replied curtly.

The girls huddled close together, eying the strange new creature.

"You mean it's not from Frighton?" Sofía asked, looking at one of the being's many eyes.

"Me, from Frighton? Oh no. I am a nomad of sorts, the universe is my home," the creature laughed. "You can call me Imfitial. As I said I noticed quite a bit of hostility and sadness from this spot, and wondered if I couldn't help resolve it? If this is Frighton then surely you two must be Mor of death and Desi of grief, yes? And you three," Imfitial leaned over towards the girlfriends curiously. "Where do you hail from?"

Bing opened her mouth to speak, but Sofía put a hand on her shoulder. "Nowhere important."

Imfitial let out a low "mmmm" in disapproval, but turned his attention back to the rulers of Frighton. "I sense you two are dealing with a great deal of tension at the moment. You are in luck, as I just so happen to be a lifeform that feeds on negativity. I can swallow it whole, and certainly leave you much better off than before. Which of you is it that needs cleaning? I would be happy to help and leave you all to your," he glanced at the crowd in the courtyard, "festivities."

"Mor, I believe," Desi responded quickly, their thin arms tensing. "Surely it is their anger towards me that drew you here."

Mor scoffed bitterly, turning sharply to stare at Desi, "Or maybe...your guilt drew him."

"I'm sure it was you," Desi insisted, "You have always been resentful of me."

"Of course I have...you are what makes the universe hate me," Mor growled, their voice dropping in pitch yet again. "Death would not be despised...if you didn't meddle in people's minds. The universe hates me...only because they can't see you."

Desi flinched slightly, unresponsive at this last flurry of accusations. Imfitial hummed another low note, extending a spidery leg towards Mor. "Today is a fortuitous one for you, my friend. I know exactly how to help you. All I ask is that you trust me, and glory will be restored to your good name. You do not need Desi, you need me. I can show you."

"Mor please, this is between you and I," Desi insisted irritably, their dress fluttering about more violently than before. "Let us go inside."

"No." Mor turned their back on their partner, floating with toes barely above the ground towards the newcomer. "I am tired...of you having a say."

Desi made a noise as though about to protest once more as their partner approached Imfitial, but before they got the chance to utter a single word the sharp foreleg of the foreign beast pulled back, and punctured straight through the chest of Mor. Thick black ooze splattered along the ground below them, and the ruler's gloved hands fell lifeless to the ground. The leg retracted and Imfitial reared up, a large mouth now visible in the center of its chest where Mor's pale form was quickly deposited and swallowed whole.

The three girls recoiled in horror, each gripping onto one another tightly.

Desi did not have a chance to speak.

Instead, they shrieked.

* * *

Author's Note: Because I forgot to credit in the last chapter, Moirai was created by SpectacledArtist


	6. Chapter 6

The cry Desi emitted rang through the very core of Frighton, and all the bustle of the party ceased immediately. The girls barely had time to get ahold of themselves when a flash of grey darted between them and Imfitial with a mighty roar. The sphinx Moirai latched onto the strange creature with her claws, the muscles in her powerful legs tensing as her wings beat against Imfitial's side. She bore her massive fangs, and Desi reached out in protest.

"Moirai! Be careful!"

The strange creature's skin stretched tight, and abruptly its body cracked open like a chrysalis, and out crawled a larger version of the creature even more imposing before. One of its many legs swatted at the sphinx, slashing across her pelt and sending her flying to the ground with a pained roar. Hastily Imfitial turned to the empty shell on the ground, shoveling it with his many legs into the mouth on the center of his chest.

"Did you bring your bon-bomb?" Sofía asked quickly, producing hers from her bra with shaking hands. The other girls nodded, each pulling out theirs in a similar fashion as they looked on in disbelief. Though they had transformed for public appearances in the years since Lady Baphomet's defeat, this was the first occasion since then where they needed to fight. The nerves subsided as instinct and practice began to take over, and all three girls held their transformation items aloft and shouted in unison:

"Nightmares nevermore! Trick-or-treat transformation!"

Multicolored bursts of smoke immediately surrounded the three girls, who found themselves lifted up once more into the familiar iridescent smoke. Immediately their party dresses disappeared in a burst of glitter, and the three girls held hands tightly, closing their eyes with solemn focus. As glitter swirled around them, thin tendrils of light began to snake their way across their torsos, interlocking with one another until they formed a full spiderweb pattern across all three girls, a black leotard appearing beneath the white spider web pattern in a flash.

They began first with Sofía, Bing and Fay's arms wrapping around either side of her in a tight embrace. Bing's arms slung low across her hips, a purple skirt unfurling at the touch, while Fay's arms hugged her waist, bringing a grey corset into place. Each planted a simultaneous kiss to either cheek, her hair lengthening out behind her and twisting into a pair of purple pigtails. Sofía placed her bon-bomb against her chest, the wrapped chandy transforming into a purple bow with a puff of smoke from which she pulled a witch's hat, placing it squarely on her head.

Next came Bing, whose hair Fay ran feather light touches through, dying it orange as it wrapped itself into tight buns on either side of her head. One of Sofía's hands grabbed ahold of Bing's wrist, guiding it to her chest to place the bon-bomb which in a poof became an orange bow. The other hand traced down her stomach creeping fingers guiding tendrils of smoke like thread that suddenly criss crossed together to make her corset, and with a sweeping flourish across her hips a round orange skirt popped over her leotard.

Then there was Fay, affixing her bon-bomb to her chest and plucking a ribbon out from the iridescent puff that resulted to tie up her hair into a ghostly ponytail bathed in blue. Sofía placed firm hands on Fay's hips while Bing lifted her hand above her head, the pair twirling her around like a ballerina until a fluffy white petticoat and blue high-low skirt formed, as well as a fluttering white ruffle around her shoulders.

The girls gripped one another's hands tightly, a set of gloves appearing on each trembling hand. With a gentle click each girl tapped a gentle toe touch to the girl on either side, their boots the last garment to appear as suddenly they began to plummet back to the ground.

They landed with steely resolve as the smoke suddenly burst away from them, dissipating into the bleak Frightonian landscape as each girl struck their pose.

"A mischievous silhouette on a moonlit night, Cure Witch!"

"A warm smile on an autumn night, Cure Pumpkin!"

"A ghostly chill on a frightful night, Cure Spectre!"

"Banishing fear with the power of courage! We are Spooky! Pretty Cure!"

Imfitial turned its many eyes to the newly transformed warriors, each glinting with intrigue. "I have never seen life such as this...where in the universe do you reside?"

The repeated prompt fell on deaf ears as the cures fanned out, Pumpkin and Spectre each dashing to either side of the beast while Witch hurried to the distraught ruler of Frighton. "Desi, take Moirai back to the courtyard and get everyone inside," she demanded firmly, pulling her bonewick wand from her palm as she did so. "We will protect you."

Desi shuttered, white petals falling from their body at an increasing rate, a tiny white blizzard. Their dress fluttered violently as they took off in the direction of Moirai, placing a spindly hand on her flank and hurrying the both of them back towards the party, the sphinx giving Witch a questioning look. The purple cure nodded in affirmation, tilting her head towards the courtyard as she ran to join the fray. Moirai would be better off guarding the mansion with others to care for her wounds than out here. The trio were an effective team, but no one was equipped to heal.

Both the girlfriends had also produced their weapons, Pumpkin in the midst of launching a flurry of fireballs at the creature while Spectre flitted between its many legs, golden spiderweb threads snaking from her wand as she worked to trip up the sharp appendages without being impaled as Mor had been.

"Pumpkin!" Witch cried, dashing towards her and temporarily halting the orange cure's barrage. Pumpkin held her wand in her mouth and stretched her arms out, grabbing ahold of Witch's waist as soon as she was near and hurtling her through the air. A crack like thunder resounded as Witch's heel collided with Imfitial's face, and a quick spin delivered a second kick to one of the the beast's eyes. It let out a roar of pain, and Spectre shot out from beneath it to Pumpkin's side, having attached cobweb tendrils to each of its legs. Together the two girls gave a swift tug, effectively pulling the pointed legs out from beneath the creature, Witch tumbling off its head and holding onto its back with a surprised yelp as it fell beneath her.

Whatever satisfaction the group felt at incapacitating the monster was short-lived. Nearly as quickly as it had fallen it rose into the air, worming through the sky like an eel and taking all three girls up with it. Witch made a feeble attempt to stand as they rose, but her shaky legs prevented anything more than crawling along its back to see both Spectre and Pumpkin dangling from the golden thread beneath it, holding on to the wand and each other tightly. The beast made its way towards the courtyard as the last of the Frightonians were scurrying into the mansion, Moirai pacing with a pronounced limp at the front, dark eyes locked on them as they neared.

"We can't let it get any closer to them!" Witch cried, "You two have to let go, I'm gonna try to bring us down!" Pumpkin bit her lip as she eyed the ground far beneath them, and felt Spectre's arm tighten around her. In the height of their careers perhaps the fall would have seemed like nothing, but this far out of practice the drop seemed like a death sentence.

They didn't seem to have much choice in the matter however, and with a shared expression of apprehension Spectre dissolved the golden bonds tying Imfitial's legs together and the pair began their free fall. Witch pointed her wand to the sky, tracing out a purple pentagram.

"Pretty Cure Haunted Hex!"

She flung the spell forward with as much force as she could from her position holding on for dear life to the creature's back. The attack struck the back of Imfitial's head and it roared again, now freed legs arching upwards and dragging across its back trying to dislodge the pest that clung there.

"Pretty Cure Jack-o-Jinx!"

More pumpkin shaped fireballs launched from Pumpkin's wand as she fell, aiming for the mouth on the creature's abdomen, Spectre turning her attention to the ground as she willed her mind to work faster than they fell, scoping out a place to fasten a safety net.

"Pretty Cure Cobweb Curse!"

With a flash of light a spider web net latched itself to the outer gate of the courtyard and a nearby building moments before Spectre and Pumpkin collided with it, each bouncing off and landing with a gruff thud to the ground.

"This is bullshit," Pumpkin muttered with irritable self-deprecation, getting to her feet as quickly as she could and helping Spectre stand. Witch flailed about on the falling creature, attempting to avoid the aggressive swipes of its legs until one scraped across her back, dislodging her and sending her tumbling.

Her face would have collided directly with the ashen dirt of Frighton were it not for the awaiting arms of Pumpkin, who managed to catch her however clumsily while Spectre pointed her wand once again, this time to the sky where a large webbed dome formed around Imfitial and the trio, blocking it from nearing any closer to the mansion where the residents hid.

"Leave them alone!" Spectre shouted, a new wave of fireballs launching from Pumpkin and quickening its descent. It landed once again on its legs, however much less gracefully before, and turned three of its eyes to the girls standing defiantly before it, the fourth having swollen shut.

"What do you want from them?" Pumpkin interrogated, wand gripped tightly in both hands.

"The people here have not hurt anyone!" Witch added, also holding out her wand albeit warily. "You cannot punish them for what Baphomet did!"

Imfitial grumbled deep in its chest, something like a laugh, "I am not here for revenge. I am simply here to eat. Is it not cruel to deny me sustenance, however unconventional? I need negative energy to survive, and I sense quite a bit coming from this world. And quite a bit coming from the three of you, as well. Guilt, resentment, sadness, anger, you reek of it. But your magic interests me even more, I do wonder what gifts I might attain from that..."

Without warning Imfitial's long antennae whipped forward, wrapping around Spectre and squeezing tight. Her mouth gaped as she struggled to breathe, writhing as much as she could in its grip. As the other two dashed forward immediately to help its tail swung across the area of the dome, smacking both of them back against the wall. With a dramatic swing upward, and an unflinching slam downward Imfitial smashed Spectre into the ground, and immediately her wand fell from her limp hand, the dome disappearing as it did. Moments later, in a lazy puff of blue smoke, she had detransformed back into her civilian form, unconscious in the grip of the beast. Her bon-bomb rolled across the dusty ground, and in one sweeping motion Imfitial had speared it on one of its legs and tossed it into its mouth.

"Motherfucker!" Pumpkin screeched, standing to her feet clumsily and brandishing her wand like a bat, launching fireballs with each swing as she charged forward. Each hit the beast broadside, and yet a few stumbles to the side were all the efforts earned her. An angry bellow rumbled from the creature's chest as it smacked the wand from her hands, its pointed leg dragging across her chest and snagging on the orange bow affixed to her uniform, tearing it off. As soon as it became dislodged a puff of orange smoke took with it her cure form, and all the powers associated with it. Bing crumpled to the ground, clutching her chest as the pain from her wound intensified without the aid of her powers, and her bon-bomb too was deposited into the creature's mouth.

Witch stood on quaking legs, staring in disbelief at the scene before her. A primal scream tore through the air, and it took her several moments to realize it was coming from her. Her arms moved almost of their own accord, tracing a pentagram and launching it at the beast with the force of her cries behind it. It struck Imfitial head on, and a bright crack formed down its center. Quickly it became clear that this was all too familiar as another version of the creature crawled out from the shell of the old one, this one emblazoned with a blue and orange stripe down either side. It reared up on its legs, fire bursting from its mouth in sporadic puffs as though testing its new abilities.

Charging forward and blinded by rage, or perhaps desperation, Witch held her wand aloft once again only to be struck across the face by a whiplike golden tendril from the beast's leg. She fell to the ground briefly only to be picked up once again by a pointed leg hooked just underneath her bow.

"I suppose I got lucky, finding where your magic comes from," it mused almost mirthful in tone. "It is too bad you won't tell me where you are from; I'd love to find others like you."

A shrill screech reverberated through the air, and Witch only briefly caught sight of three figures approaching. Reaper landed with their scythe dug securely into the monster's back, Anubis' khopesh slicing along its side, and Scarecrow's pitchfork buried in its abdomen. The sudden attack made Imfitial hiss in surprise, and its sudden jerk in response tore the bow straight from Witch's chest. The purple smoke billowed past her as she fell, her witch's hat disappearing on the breeze before it touched the earth. She crumpled uselessly to the ground, eyes hardly able to focus on the chaos that erupted around her, everything blurred and quiet as she slowly slipped out of consciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

The weight of physical exhaustion had held her eyelids closed for god knows how long, and fresh emotional wounds threatened to scab them closed for good. But this sleep was not eternal, and Sofía arduously peeled open her eyelids. The sight of a dread peering over her made her startle on instinct, but a few deep breaths managed to calm her racing heart. After all, the dread had a little nurse's hat perched between its pointed ears, and a small cup of water held precariously between its pointed feet, surely not a threat.

Settling back down into the bed she found herself in, Sofía took stock of what appeared to be a somewhat basic, but ultimately ordinary looking hospital room. "Are we still on Frighton?" she asked in a slight daze, realizing it was perhaps a stupid question as her eyes fell upon the dread who nodded and extended the glass of water towards her. She accepted the offering graciously, taking a long drink and downing the glass in one go.

"Are Bing and Fay alright?"

The dread nodded again, taking back the glass and setting it on a tiny dread-sized cart beside the bed. Sofía swung her legs over to one side in a motion to stand and the dread rushed back over to her, shaking its head and holding out its forelegs. Despite the throb the simple movement had caused in her head, Sofía pouted as she laid back down. "But I want to see them," she fussed, rubbing her temples to alleviate the ache.

"Let me check your vitals first."

After momentarily thinking the dread had suddenly gained the ability to speak, Sofía's eyes caught the familiar yet surprising face of an old high school classmate standing at the door to her room.

"Colette?" she asked in bewilderment, blinking a few times and rubbing her head to be sure she wasn't seeing things. She got a better look as the familiar face walked into the room, looking marginally less familiar with the smile she wore and an uncharacteristic cheeriness about her. A little dread walked in beside her, holding a clipboard and looking like a proper resident. Colette peeled apart the velcro of a blood pressure monitor and secured it to Sofía's arm, pumping it up and feeling for her pulse before she bothered to answer any of the thousands of questions written across her patient's face.

"I moved here to be with the dread. The one I nursed back to health told everyone about me, so whenever one of them would get sick they'd come to earth and show up on my doorstep. I was going to study veterinary medicine anyway...but there aren't any doctors on Frighton, and I doubt I'd learn much about monster biology in my college classes," she explained evenly, the little dread beside her taking note of Sofía's vitals.

Sofía listened silently, doing her best to not be offended that an untrained vet was her doctor for the day. "How are Bing and Fay?" she asked as soon as Colette stowed the cuff.

"They're fine, you all are," Colette assured her, though a frown weighed on her face. "The dread were all very concerned about you; when you all blacked out they drug you immediately to me and went back out to fight." Sofía's brows knit together with guilt, looking at the expressionless faces of the two dread on the room. The nurse placed its pointed foreleg on her shoulder reassuringly and gently vibrated, almost like a purring cat.

"What happened to…" Sofía's mind blanked, "that big...shrimp guy?"

"Your PreFears and the locals managed to drive him off. I think they've scared him away for the time being, Frightonians are good at that."

"Mm…"

"Desi is a wreck, but I think they'll be okay."

The sound of the name made Sofía sink a little further down in her bed, fiddling with the hem of the sheets. "When can we leave?"

Colette seemed slightly taken aback by the question. "Um, well none of you are critically injured, just some bruising. I'd take some painkillers since you probably have a mild concussion but there's nothing I'd need to keep you here for."

Sofía nodded, slowly standing to her feet to alleviate the chances of wooziness. "Then I think we need to go...thank you Colette. It was nice seeing you again." She patted one of the dread on the head, the creature rumbling pleasantly under her touch. "And thank you guys too."

When the trio appeared back at the tree portal, each looked substantially worse for wear than when they had left. All still clad in their fancy dresses, they slumped through the woods towards the car with their shoes in hand. In addition to the accessories she went in with, Fay now sported a striking pair of black eyes, and a small cut across the bridge of her nose. Bing looked fine on the outside, but underneath the high neckline of her dress crept a slash wound not deep enough to need stitches, but that Colette had glued shut just to be safe. Sofía walked in the middle, arms hooked around each of her girlfriends' arms as she tried to fight off the dizziness that swelled behind her eyes with each step she took.

They each caught their haggard appearances in the reflection off Sofía's car as they approached, and Bing huffed a weak laugh. "That could've gone better."

"We didn't even find out what we needed to know," Fay agreed with a crestfallen sigh.

Sofía's grip on the both of them tightened. "Yes we did," she muttered bitterly, "It was Desi. They fucked around with us." With and frustrated grunt she pulled back her foot, kicking a rock across the grass with as much effort as she could muster. Unfortunately her barefoot state had momentarily slipped her mind, and the tangle of frustration in her chest only tightened as she felt herself about to burst into tears, tipped over the edge by her own stupidity.

With a dramatic cry she sank to the ground, leaning back against her car and clutching her red and throbbing toes in her hands. "Why is this happening to us?!" she wailed, Fay quickly sinking to her knees and wrapping Sofía tightly in her arms. Bing struggled slightly to sit on the ground in her tight dress, but hugged Sofía all the same as soon as she managed. "All we wanted was to help people...not get wrapped up in all this...this...interplanetary bullshit." Pressure built in her head to the point that it felt like that was what stopped any tears from rising to her eyes, instead leaving her breathing haggard and eyes straining with a scowl pinching her face in.

"We did get to help people though," Fay soothed, pressing a gentle kiss to Sofía's cheek.

"Maybe...we need the bad stuff to balance out the good," Bing ventured, "Like how the universe needs Frighton."

Sofía sniffed forcefully, looking embittered as she stared into her lap, but nodded in resignation all the same. "Maybe now that we...can't transform," the words fell weighted from her mouth, anchors that sunk immediately to the ground, "everything can just go back to how it was before."

"Do you want to go back to your house and rest?" Bing asked gently, standing to her feet and scooping Sofía up in her arms, depositing her in the back seat of her car. Sofía shook her head carefully, mindful of her headache.

"No, Cerberus and my parents will be there and want to talk about it."

"Why don't we go to that ice cream parlor you like?" Fay suggested with a gentle smile, hopping into the driver's seat, "I think we could use a treat."

The suggestion made Sofía smile a bit. "You're gonna ruin your dress if we do."

Bing snorted. "I'll keep an eye on her."

* * *

The retro style ice cream parlor looked on the surface like it harkened from the 1950s, but with slightly too artificial touches betraying its much more recent construction. It had been the site of many a date while the trio were still in high school, and had long been one of Sofía's favorite places in Red Hollow for its unbeatable moose tracks mix. Pulling up onto the street where it stood felt like coming home almost as much as returning to Sofía's actual house. The only downside was the requirement to parallel park, a skill Fay had not quite perfected.

By the time she had managed to align the sedan with the curb just so, the rumble of the engine was replaced by a gentle snoring from the back seat.

"You're kidding me." Bing shook her head in disbelief while Fay took a peek at the sleeping passenger from over her seat.

"I guess I took a little too long," she said bashfully, "What should we do?"

Bing scrunched her lips to one side. "Let's go eat, and let her sleep. We can get her one on the way out."

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the parlor was empty as summer had long since slipped beyond the skyline. The pair didn't take up much space either, sitting side by side at a corner table by the window, Bing with a butter pecan waffle cone and Fay with cookies and cream in a cup and a napkin forcibly tucked into the top of her dress. The mid afternoon sun wasn't as warm as it used to be, and a noticeable chill seeped through the window pane and pushed the two girls closer together.

For a while they sat in silence, gazing out the window at the world passing by. Things went on as they always did, cars rolled down the street from time to time, and the reddening leaves pirouetted to the ground. A few pedestrians strolled past down the sidewalk, completely unaware of the events of the night before, as always. Even when the public was made aware of the Pretty Cure, there was always a disconnect between what they were told and what really happened. The girls couldn't expect people to fully understand the things they'd seen, as outlandish as they were. That was their burden alone. These more recent developments were just more of the same.

"I just feel bad. I'm...not in the same place as she is," Bing admitted, chewing thoughtfully on a pecan. "She gets so angry, and I just...don't want to talk about it. Like if we don't talk about it I don't have to acknowledge it happened. Is that bad?"

Fay pursed her lips around her spoon. "No, I don't think so. I don't feel as angry as she does either. I don't know, for me...I think it's guilt. Is there something I could have done to stop it? Is there something I could be doing to make you two feel better? It all feels way out of my control, but also like I need to fix it," her grip tightened on her spoon as she scooped another bite. "And I don't like that."

With a comforting squeeze Bing took Fay's hand into her own, giving her partner a comforting kiss. "None of it is your fault. And I for one don't expect you to fix anything, I know Sof doesn't either." With her thumb she wiped a little smudge of ice cream off the corner of Fay's mouth. "Sorry, I guess I'm the messy one today," she laughed weakly.

"No, it's probably still me," Fay assured with a smile, running a finger across Bing's lips and revealing some cookie crumbs she had transferred. "Thank you, though." She kissed Bing's forehead, pausing momentarily to wipe additional crumbs from her forehead before returning to the rest of her dish.

* * *

A freshly scooped cup of moose tracks in hand, the pair headed back out to the car. The sound of the doors shutting stirred Sofía awake, and she sat up with glassy sleep wrought eyes looking in confusion at the ice cream held out before her.

"We didn't want to wake you, but we still grabbed you some ice cream," Bing explained as Sofía took the cup in her hands, tempted to press the cold treat to her head to soothe the ache the still thrummed there.

"Thanks…" She scooped a hefty bite into her mouth. "I hope I wasn't out for too long?"

"Oh no, not at all," Fay reassured her. "Don't stress. Was there anywhere else you wanted to go?"

Sofía hummed. "We should go see the school. It's been a long time; I wonder if anything's changed."

The tires crunched over fallen leaves as they slowly ambled their way to the school campus. The woods that curved around the Redwood High School campus in a loose embrace seemed less foreboding than it used to. Everything seemed...smaller. The woods, the school, the students, the high school problems. Students milled about in the parking lot, it seemed the designated spots each clique stood at in their school days carried over even as the student population completely turned over.

"I wonder who sits at our lunch table now," Sofía pondered aloud, touching her nose to the window as she looked out.

Bing snorted. "I wonder if they replaced the table after we defaced it."

"Bingfaya forever," Fay declared, turning her gaze from the nostalgic school yard.

The car lurched to a halt suddenly, Sofía's head banging on the window and sending her headache into another dizzying throb, Bing drawing a sharp gasp as her seat belt tightened over her wounded chest.

"What was that?" Sofía asked with a groan, holding her head between her hands as if that would stop the spinning. Fay gripped the steering wheel white knuckled for a moment, staring at the dashboard before she threw the car in park and got out. Bing exchanged a worried glance with Sofía in the rear view before both scrambled out of the car as well, joining Fay's side before the car. Fay's eyes were locked on the ground intensely, but what she was looking at wasn't apparent to either of her partners. Flattened leaves and loose pebbles of pavement, but nothing more.

"I'm sorry," Fay whispered, hands knotted in her dress. "I thought...I saw her."

Bing squeezed her girlfriend's arm, leaning lightly against her. "It's okay, we're okay. Everything is okay." Sofía didn't seem to agree.

"Where the fuck are you?!" she shouted, stomping up the street in no direction in particular. "Won't you just leave us the fuck alone for two seconds?!"

"Sofía!" Bing called urgently, running up and grabbing ahold of her wrist. "Sofía we can't do this here, not in front of the school."

"Come out here right now! I know you're fucking there!" Sofía hissed, weaving in between the trees lining the street, a few students at the edge of the parking lot turning to see what the commotion was about. "How dare you follow us back here again. Haven't we done enough for you?! We can't even transform anymore, we gave you everything! Can't you at least give us some peace?!"

The shadows of the trees seems to flutter almost imperceptibly, and without any obvious transition there they were, Desi, their dress moving in the still air, the petals that fell from beneath them mixing with the leaves below.

"I'm trying to give peace," Desi insisted breathily. "Please…"

Fay joined her girlfriends near the shadowed figure, a look of trepidation across her pale face. The murmurs of the students outside became hushed, almost fearful, but when Fay turned from Desi's shrouded face to look at the schoolyard, it wasn't the begetter of grief that they cast worried gazes upon, but a long black creature that had begun to worm its way down from the sky.

He had found them.


End file.
